Pretending to Be Human Is Exhausting Again Today - Chapter 160

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Pretending to Be Human: Episode 160
Asmo-rina, who had been silent until now, seemed to think it was time for her to answer, and she spoke in a sharp voice.
“Why are you looking at me like that? I only did it because she asked me to. Do you have any idea how much I suffered?”
“Well, I understand it’s difficult, but… did the Countess really endure the entire process?”
Given the low success rate, the process of becoming a Demon involved pain beyond imagination.
It would have been better to be tortured instead, and I was worried whether the Countess had managed to endure it.
“How would I know? I came straight here after the ritual ended. That Countess woman is probably rolling around in her own bed at home right now.”
“If she succeeds, she’ll become your blood kin. How can you be so irresponsible…?”
“Enough. Who wants to create such a subordinate anyway? I helped because she’s your subordinate.”
Asmo-rina pushed through the crowd and approached me.
Then she suddenly grabbed my chin and examined my face, turning it this way and that.
“Hmm, aside from being skin and bones, you look healthy. I was planning to take your soul if you’d died instead.”
“Now listen here!”
Viscount Gorden shouted indignantly, but she continued as if she couldn’t hear him.
“Now that you’re awake, you need to explain what’s going on. All the humans here keep ignoring me. Even when I try to force them to speak…”
“They’re all precious to me.”
“…I waited because I thought you’d say something like that.”
She pouted her lips in annoyance, brought over a nearby chair, and sat down.
“If you have more to discuss with the humans, finish quickly. I’ll wait until it’s my turn.”
I looked around with a troubled expression.
Ivan, who had been wary of Asmo-rina, let out a deep sigh.
“Well, fortunately there isn’t much to report. Since the Golden Hand withdrew, order has been restored. The holy site business is going well too… if anything requires follow-up action, it’s that woman’s companion.”
“Companion… Oh! Lua!”
Only then did I remember the young girl who had been with Asmo-rina. When I went to rescue Asmo-rina, her family had already…
“She left long ago.”
Asmo-rina spoke in an indifferent tone, as if questioning why I would ask such a thing.
“Lua was a descendant of the Cloud Wanderers. She had faint Demon blood mixed in her veins. Because of her constitution, she couldn’t stay in one place for long.”
Only Lua’s family died; other clan members took her and left Monos. Viscount Gorden offered to hold a funeral for her, but she refused.
“Death is familiar to wanderers. Well, that doesn’t mean she’s overcome her sorrow.”
“You… are you really okay with that? Shouldn’t you go after her?”
Asmo-rina scoffed as if that made no sense.
“I’ve achieved my purpose, so why would I follow her? I traveled with them because of the legend that journeying with the Cloud Wanderers would help you find what you desire. There’s no need to be entangled with them anymore.”
“…”
Despite what she said, it was clear that Asmo-rina cared about Lua. Their relationship had been more than just friendship.
Uncomfortable with my persistent gaze, she averted her eyes slightly and muttered.
“Well, I did give her a gift as a token of appreciation for her hard work.”
“A gift?”
“I just gave her a grimoire that could be used for self-defense.”
‘A grimoire that could be used for self-defense?’
Just as I was thinking that was strange, I sensed an unusual aura emanating from Asmo-rina’s body.
“Why is your magical power so depleted?”
Compared to when I faced the Golden Hand, Asmo-rina’s magical reserves had dwindled to less than half.
“Well, that’s… ”
Asmo-rina tried to evade the question, but a possibility flashed through my mind.
‘Depleted magical power, a grimoire for self-defense…’
“Don’t tell me you shared your life force with someone?”
Among demons, Asmo-rina was rare—one who wielded magical power infused with life force. Her primary skill was manipulating plants with that power.
And creating books from wood as well.
‘If she embedded life force into it and created a sort of avatar…’
That was no longer a defensive grimoire. It might be the most dangerous magical tome in this entire world.
But if she did something like that in her weakened state, her damaged magical power might never recover. This wasn’t the Demon Realm, where magical energy was abundant.
“Rina, if you do something like that, your life force will…”
“Stop nagging me! I know what I’m doing.”
She grumbled and turned her head away sharply. It was an attitude that should have felt irritating, but instead, warmth bloomed in my chest.
Asmo-rina using her life force for a friend—it was a beautiful sight I could only have dreamed of witnessing.
Seeing my expression, Ivan’s face twisted into something like disgust.
“What’s with that face… Ow!”
Just then, Ruslara grabbed his head roughly and yanked him by the collar, herding the others toward the door as she spoke.
“There are matters to report, but nothing urgent. For now, please rest and recover. We shall withdraw—and it would be best if Asmo-rina joined us as well…”
Asmo-rina didn’t even glance at Ruslara as she spoke.
“Don’t talk to me, traitor fairy. Get out.”
“…”
Ruslara’s expression hardened, and she retreated. She and Ivan left the room together, with the rest of their group filing out behind them.
Once I confirmed everyone had left, I pressed Asmo-rina for answers.
“What do you mean by ‘traitor fairy’? Ruslara is my knight. Don’t speak of her so carelessly.”
“That’s because… no, it’s because Mother doesn’t understand the true nature of Baban Si.”
“True nature?”
“Those creatures… no, never mind. There’s no point discussing it now. More importantly, explain what happened. How did you find me? Were you following me?”
Asmo-rina seemed curious about the circumstances of my rescue.
I wanted to hear why she despised Baban Si, but first I needed to address the current situation.
“As you know, there were no surveillance personnel around your lodging, so following you was impossible. If I’d tried, you would have attacked me first.”
“Of course. The very thought of being watched by a human is horrifying.”
“So instead, I decided to monitor the roads leading to your lodging to track your movements.”
There was one thing I had overlooked—while focusing on Asmo-rina’s movements, I failed to notice the Golden Hand’s activities.
Ivan was the center of Monos’s security, but as he concentrated on Asmo-rina, the Golden Hand managed to infiltrate undetected.
“I realized something was wrong when I witnessed you rushing toward the abandoned logging camp. I immediately ordered Ivan to search your lodging, and I headed toward your location with the Black Rabbit.”
And what I found was a hostage situation.
Logically, I should have captured one or two of them as prisoners. But the moment I thought my daughter was wounded, my rage became uncontrollable.
“If only I’d noticed sooner, you wouldn’t have been hurt…”
The image of Asmo-rina bleeding flashed through my mind. How long had it been since I’d seen her in such a helpless state?
“Here we go again. You still think I’m a greenhorn? Do you really believe I can’t handle a crisis like this?”
‘Pretending to be strong.’
I didn’t want to bruise her pride unnecessarily, so I changed the subject.
“Anyway, that’s how I was able to find Asmo-rina. The rest is….”
“No, wait. You still haven’t explained the most important part. Tell me why you coughed up blood.”
“….”
I wanted to gloss over it, but Asmo-rina didn’t miss the opening.
I hesitated for a moment before finally confessing.
“It’s a side effect from overusing my magical power. My soul belongs to Asmodina, but my body is completely human.”
“Human? With magical power this strong?”
‘Where do I even begin to explain this?’
At this point, it seemed best to start from when I was reborn as Deina.
“I opened my eyes in Deina’s body one day. At that moment, I already had Asmodina’s memories surfacing….”
The story of how the cursed princess confined to the Separate Palace, Deina, became Asmodina.
And how every time I used magical power, my body twisted from within, accumulating side effects.
I spent a long time explaining it all, piece by piece.
“….”
After I finished my explanation, Asmo-rina slowly opened her mouth.
“Are you an idiot?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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